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stockstradr
ParticipantYes, that was a wild ride today. And a fun one, for some of us.
I began the day positioned with a fifth of my portfolio in put options:
SPY DEC 2010 105.0000 PUT
SPY DEC 2011 90.0000 PUTOver the course of a few hours, the first of those positions DOUBLED in price. After the market bounced back up (hurting my put values) those two put positions closed up about 30% for the day.
Unreal!
SPY SEP 2010 85.0000 PUT.
Only a few days ago that option was about $0.40, can you blame me for dumping it yesterday at $0.75. After all, the sucker is expiring in a few months, and look how far out of the money it is. (SPY closed at 113 today)
But naturally, I cried when it today it peaked at $1.70, and traded last at $1.57. I missed out on an additional doubling of that position in a mere 24 hours.
NOTE: it is extremely unusual for me to have a fifth of my retirement portfolio in options. I had a good instinct, so I took a temporary risk with that 20% options position, and it paid off. I note, it is not wise to have more than about 5% of a retirement portfolio in anything as risky as options, at any one time. No I don’t want to read your flame posts lecturing me on my excessive risk. I understand the risks I take.
Ahh, but another half my portfolio is also in PROSHARES ULTRASHORT S&P 500. So I’m living dangerously.
With those positions, you can imagine, I’m up net about 10% for the day across my entire portfolio.
Tomorrow, I will probably dump ALL my short positions and go to cash (because I should have done that today at 1:30 PM!). I’m guessing the markets will soon head back up to 1200 on the S&P500. However, I’m guessing that sometime in the next 24 months, markets will hit levels MUCH LOWER than where we saw them close today. That’s why I’m holding the 2011 put options.
However, full disclosure, this has been a ROUGH year for me in the stock market, and since Jan 1 2010 my portfolio remains in net loss position, even after today’s gains. And that’s pathetic that I was unable to make money in a year where stocks have pretty much gone straight up, despite a few minor pullbacks such as we saw today. I held my bearishly biased position too long into the rally.
However, my portfolio does remain in a net positive position, relative to its value at the Oct 2007 market peak.
ParticipantYes, that was a wild ride today. And a fun one, for some of us.
I began the day positioned with a fifth of my portfolio in put options:
SPY DEC 2010 105.0000 PUT
SPY DEC 2011 90.0000 PUTOver the course of a few hours, the first of those positions DOUBLED in price. After the market bounced back up (hurting my put values) those two put positions closed up about 30% for the day.
Unreal!
SPY SEP 2010 85.0000 PUT.
Only a few days ago that option was about $0.40, can you blame me for dumping it yesterday at $0.75. After all, the sucker is expiring in a few months, and look how far out of the money it is. (SPY closed at 113 today)
But naturally, I cried when it today it peaked at $1.70, and traded last at $1.57. I missed out on an additional doubling of that position in a mere 24 hours.
NOTE: it is extremely unusual for me to have a fifth of my retirement portfolio in options. I had a good instinct, so I took a temporary risk with that 20% options position, and it paid off. I note, it is not wise to have more than about 5% of a retirement portfolio in anything as risky as options, at any one time. No I don’t want to read your flame posts lecturing me on my excessive risk. I understand the risks I take.
Ahh, but another half my portfolio is also in PROSHARES ULTRASHORT S&P 500. So I’m living dangerously.
With those positions, you can imagine, I’m up net about 10% for the day across my entire portfolio.
Tomorrow, I will probably dump ALL my short positions and go to cash (because I should have done that today at 1:30 PM!). I’m guessing the markets will soon head back up to 1200 on the S&P500. However, I’m guessing that sometime in the next 24 months, markets will hit levels MUCH LOWER than where we saw them close today. That’s why I’m holding the 2011 put options.
However, full disclosure, this has been a ROUGH year for me in the stock market, and since Jan 1 2010 my portfolio remains in net loss position, even after today’s gains. And that’s pathetic that I was unable to make money in a year where stocks have pretty much gone straight up, despite a few minor pullbacks such as we saw today. I held my bearishly biased position too long into the rally.
However, my portfolio does remain in a net positive position, relative to its value at the Oct 2007 market peak.
ParticipantI can’t believe THIS thread drew me into posting after about a year hiatus. But I know something about this subject.
“If you are using one, what performance numbers are you seeing over traditional disk? ”
My answer?
Look, stop your endless search for more and more data, and just buy an SSD. The impact it will have on your day-to-day experience of your PC will be astounding.
Assuming your PC / laptop is already well-endowed with memory and processor speed, there is simply NO OTHER upgrade that can even come close to the extra zip you get from an SSD.
I’m running an Intel X25-M 80GB SSD that holds my Windows 7 and most of my installed software.
Adobe CS4 loads in about 2 sec. Windows loads in about a dozen seconds. File access is screaming fast. I also move my HD video files (temporarily) onto the SSD for editing, because that is screaming fast also.
However, know that SSD’s are something you want to read up so you buy the right one, and you use it correctly. Consider these points:
1) When SSD’s starting hitting the market, a FEW of the very best tech review forums spotted a big issue: SSD get slower as you use them more, and some brands are MUCH more prone to this than others. There are ways you can mitigate this.
One of the forums that broke this story was http://www.anandtech.com/
IF you want LOTS of detailed explanation (and data), go to that website and read articles like this:
“The SSD Anthology: Understanding SSDs and New Drives from OCZ”
The BOTTOM LINE: buy the Intel X25-M (or the X25-E if you’ve money to burn), because they show the best performance before and after slow-down is factored in. The OCZ SSD’s are also good, but not as good as the Intel SSD’s.
2) SSD’s are maintained differently (by you) than your spinning disc drives. You should periodically “refresh” an SSD back up to top speed by using a utility like HDDErase 3.3. You’ll back up any data from the SSD. Then you’ll use HDDErase to SECURE ERASE the entire SSD. Next you’ll re-install your OS, and during the OS install DO NOT select full format, but only select quick format. Some would argue you NEVER do a full format to an SSD, because the full format will slow your SSD, and if you are in situation where you can erase everything with a full format, then you’ll want instead to use the SECURE ERASE which will refresh your SSD back to its original as-new read/write performance.
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=669&type=expert&pid=6
You only need to do that SECURE ERASE refresh maybe once a year, or every six months.
3) Many geeks (like me) have figured out a great combo is a SSD to install your OS and most of your software. Then you also have some big SATA drives where you store your data files (photos, movies, music, etc.), preferably in a RAID configuration. Obviously with a laptop you won’t have room for that hybrid setup, so you just get an SSD.
4) Get at least an 80GB SSD. I got the X25-M 80GB, and I manage to barely keep a cushion of 20GB free, but I wish I had gotten the 160GB SSD. Keep in mind I store NO files on the SSD, only have installed the OS and most of my software onto the SSD. On my home PC I have the additional 4 TB RAID10 for misc file storage (images, video, music, etc.)
So with a laptop, if you have to store your data also on your SSD, then I think you need a SSD larger than 80GB SSD, probably more.
For certain, the best upgrade I’ve made in the last five years to our home PC’s / laptops is the SSD.
As for desktop configuration, do not believe any of the few holdout moron PC geekers who claim a RAID0 of SATA VelociRaptor’s (or SAS drives) is as fast as an SSD. That is pure rubbish, as anyone knows who has experienced the ACTUAL performance of SSD’s compared to a SATA (or SAS) RAID0 array. Of course, the hybrid configuration is the best of both worlds: OS and software installed on your SSD, and your data kept on your SATA (or SAS) drives configured RAID10 (speed + data redundancy).
ParticipantI can’t believe THIS thread drew me into posting after about a year hiatus. But I know something about this subject.
“If you are using one, what performance numbers are you seeing over traditional disk? ”
My answer?
Look, stop your endless search for more and more data, and just buy an SSD. The impact it will have on your day-to-day experience of your PC will be astounding.
Assuming your PC / laptop is already well-endowed with memory and processor speed, there is simply NO OTHER upgrade that can even come close to the extra zip you get from an SSD.
I’m running an Intel X25-M 80GB SSD that holds my Windows 7 and most of my installed software.
Adobe CS4 loads in about 2 sec. Windows loads in about a dozen seconds. File access is screaming fast. I also move my HD video files (temporarily) onto the SSD for editing, because that is screaming fast also.
However, know that SSD’s are something you want to read up so you buy the right one, and you use it correctly. Consider these points:
1) When SSD’s starting hitting the market, a FEW of the very best tech review forums spotted a big issue: SSD get slower as you use them more, and some brands are MUCH more prone to this than others. There are ways you can mitigate this.
One of the forums that broke this story was http://www.anandtech.com/
IF you want LOTS of detailed explanation (and data), go to that website and read articles like this:
“The SSD Anthology: Understanding SSDs and New Drives from OCZ”
The BOTTOM LINE: buy the Intel X25-M (or the X25-E if you’ve money to burn), because they show the best performance before and after slow-down is factored in. The OCZ SSD’s are also good, but not as good as the Intel SSD’s.
2) SSD’s are maintained differently (by you) than your spinning disc drives. You should periodically “refresh” an SSD back up to top speed by using a utility like HDDErase 3.3. You’ll back up any data from the SSD. Then you’ll use HDDErase to SECURE ERASE the entire SSD. Next you’ll re-install your OS, and during the OS install DO NOT select full format, but only select quick format. Some would argue you NEVER do a full format to an SSD, because the full format will slow your SSD, and if you are in situation where you can erase everything with a full format, then you’ll want instead to use the SECURE ERASE which will refresh your SSD back to its original as-new read/write performance.
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=669&type=expert&pid=6
You only need to do that SECURE ERASE refresh maybe once a year, or every six months.
3) Many geeks (like me) have figured out a great combo is a SSD to install your OS and most of your software. Then you also have some big SATA drives where you store your data files (photos, movies, music, etc.), preferably in a RAID configuration. Obviously with a laptop you won’t have room for that hybrid setup, so you just get an SSD.
4) Get at least an 80GB SSD. I got the X25-M 80GB, and I manage to barely keep a cushion of 20GB free, but I wish I had gotten the 160GB SSD. Keep in mind I store NO files on the SSD, only have installed the OS and most of my software onto the SSD. On my home PC I have the additional 4 TB RAID10 for misc file storage (images, video, music, etc.)
So with a laptop, if you have to store your data also on your SSD, then I think you need a SSD larger than 80GB SSD, probably more.
For certain, the best upgrade I’ve made in the last five years to our home PC’s / laptops is the SSD.
As for desktop configuration, do not believe any of the few holdout moron PC geekers who claim a RAID0 of SATA VelociRaptor’s (or SAS drives) is as fast as an SSD. That is pure rubbish, as anyone knows who has experienced the ACTUAL performance of SSD’s compared to a SATA (or SAS) RAID0 array. Of course, the hybrid configuration is the best of both worlds: OS and software installed on your SSD, and your data kept on your SATA (or SAS) drives configured RAID10 (speed + data redundancy).
ParticipantI can’t believe THIS thread drew me into posting after about a year hiatus. But I know something about this subject.
“If you are using one, what performance numbers are you seeing over traditional disk? ”
My answer?
Look, stop your endless search for more and more data, and just buy an SSD. The impact it will have on your day-to-day experience of your PC will be astounding.
Assuming your PC / laptop is already well-endowed with memory and processor speed, there is simply NO OTHER upgrade that can even come close to the extra zip you get from an SSD.
I’m running an Intel X25-M 80GB SSD that holds my Windows 7 and most of my installed software.
Adobe CS4 loads in about 2 sec. Windows loads in about a dozen seconds. File access is screaming fast. I also move my HD video files (temporarily) onto the SSD for editing, because that is screaming fast also.
However, know that SSD’s are something you want to read up so you buy the right one, and you use it correctly. Consider these points:
1) When SSD’s starting hitting the market, a FEW of the very best tech review forums spotted a big issue: SSD get slower as you use them more, and some brands are MUCH more prone to this than others. There are ways you can mitigate this.
One of the forums that broke this story was http://www.anandtech.com/
IF you want LOTS of detailed explanation (and data), go to that website and read articles like this:
“The SSD Anthology: Understanding SSDs and New Drives from OCZ”
The BOTTOM LINE: buy the Intel X25-M (or the X25-E if you’ve money to burn), because they show the best performance before and after slow-down is factored in. The OCZ SSD’s are also good, but not as good as the Intel SSD’s.
2) SSD’s are maintained differently (by you) than your spinning disc drives. You should periodically “refresh” an SSD back up to top speed by using a utility like HDDErase 3.3. You’ll back up any data from the SSD. Then you’ll use HDDErase to SECURE ERASE the entire SSD. Next you’ll re-install your OS, and during the OS install DO NOT select full format, but only select quick format. Some would argue you NEVER do a full format to an SSD, because the full format will slow your SSD, and if you are in situation where you can erase everything with a full format, then you’ll want instead to use the SECURE ERASE which will refresh your SSD back to its original as-new read/write performance.
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=669&type=expert&pid=6
You only need to do that SECURE ERASE refresh maybe once a year, or every six months.
3) Many geeks (like me) have figured out a great combo is a SSD to install your OS and most of your software. Then you also have some big SATA drives where you store your data files (photos, movies, music, etc.), preferably in a RAID configuration. Obviously with a laptop you won’t have room for that hybrid setup, so you just get an SSD.
4) Get at least an 80GB SSD. I got the X25-M 80GB, and I manage to barely keep a cushion of 20GB free, but I wish I had gotten the 160GB SSD. Keep in mind I store NO files on the SSD, only have installed the OS and most of my software onto the SSD. On my home PC I have the additional 4 TB RAID10 for misc file storage (images, video, music, etc.)
So with a laptop, if you have to store your data also on your SSD, then I think you need a SSD larger than 80GB SSD, probably more.
For certain, the best upgrade I’ve made in the last five years to our home PC’s / laptops is the SSD.
As for desktop configuration, do not believe any of the few holdout moron PC geekers who claim a RAID0 of SATA VelociRaptor’s (or SAS drives) is as fast as an SSD. That is pure rubbish, as anyone knows who has experienced the ACTUAL performance of SSD’s compared to a SATA (or SAS) RAID0 array. Of course, the hybrid configuration is the best of both worlds: OS and software installed on your SSD, and your data kept on your SATA (or SAS) drives configured RAID10 (speed + data redundancy).
ParticipantI can’t believe THIS thread drew me into posting after about a year hiatus. But I know something about this subject.
“If you are using one, what performance numbers are you seeing over traditional disk? ”
My answer?
Look, stop your endless search for more and more data, and just buy an SSD. The impact it will have on your day-to-day experience of your PC will be astounding.
Assuming your PC / laptop is already well-endowed with memory and processor speed, there is simply NO OTHER upgrade that can even come close to the extra zip you get from an SSD.
I’m running an Intel X25-M 80GB SSD that holds my Windows 7 and most of my installed software.
Adobe CS4 loads in about 2 sec. Windows loads in about a dozen seconds. File access is screaming fast. I also move my HD video files (temporarily) onto the SSD for editing, because that is screaming fast also.
However, know that SSD’s are something you want to read up so you buy the right one, and you use it correctly. Consider these points:
1) When SSD’s starting hitting the market, a FEW of the very best tech review forums spotted a big issue: SSD get slower as you use them more, and some brands are MUCH more prone to this than others. There are ways you can mitigate this.
One of the forums that broke this story was http://www.anandtech.com/
IF you want LOTS of detailed explanation (and data), go to that website and read articles like this:
“The SSD Anthology: Understanding SSDs and New Drives from OCZ”
The BOTTOM LINE: buy the Intel X25-M (or the X25-E if you’ve money to burn), because they show the best performance before and after slow-down is factored in. The OCZ SSD’s are also good, but not as good as the Intel SSD’s.
2) SSD’s are maintained differently (by you) than your spinning disc drives. You should periodically “refresh” an SSD back up to top speed by using a utility like HDDErase 3.3. You’ll back up any data from the SSD. Then you’ll use HDDErase to SECURE ERASE the entire SSD. Next you’ll re-install your OS, and during the OS install DO NOT select full format, but only select quick format. Some would argue you NEVER do a full format to an SSD, because the full format will slow your SSD, and if you are in situation where you can erase everything with a full format, then you’ll want instead to use the SECURE ERASE which will refresh your SSD back to its original as-new read/write performance.
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=669&type=expert&pid=6
You only need to do that SECURE ERASE refresh maybe once a year, or every six months.
3) Many geeks (like me) have figured out a great combo is a SSD to install your OS and most of your software. Then you also have some big SATA drives where you store your data files (photos, movies, music, etc.), preferably in a RAID configuration. Obviously with a laptop you won’t have room for that hybrid setup, so you just get an SSD.
4) Get at least an 80GB SSD. I got the X25-M 80GB, and I manage to barely keep a cushion of 20GB free, but I wish I had gotten the 160GB SSD. Keep in mind I store NO files on the SSD, only have installed the OS and most of my software onto the SSD. On my home PC I have the additional 4 TB RAID10 for misc file storage (images, video, music, etc.)
So with a laptop, if you have to store your data also on your SSD, then I think you need a SSD larger than 80GB SSD, probably more.
For certain, the best upgrade I’ve made in the last five years to our home PC’s / laptops is the SSD.
As for desktop configuration, do not believe any of the few holdout moron PC geekers who claim a RAID0 of SATA VelociRaptor’s (or SAS drives) is as fast as an SSD. That is pure rubbish, as anyone knows who has experienced the ACTUAL performance of SSD’s compared to a SATA (or SAS) RAID0 array. Of course, the hybrid configuration is the best of both worlds: OS and software installed on your SSD, and your data kept on your SATA (or SAS) drives configured RAID10 (speed + data redundancy).
ParticipantI can’t believe THIS thread drew me into posting after about a year hiatus. But I know something about this subject.
“If you are using one, what performance numbers are you seeing over traditional disk? ”
My answer?
Look, stop your endless search for more and more data, and just buy an SSD. The impact it will have on your day-to-day experience of your PC will be astounding.
Assuming your PC / laptop is already well-endowed with memory and processor speed, there is simply NO OTHER upgrade that can even come close to the extra zip you get from an SSD.
I’m running an Intel X25-M 80GB SSD that holds my Windows 7 and most of my installed software.
Adobe CS4 loads in about 2 sec. Windows loads in about a dozen seconds. File access is screaming fast. I also move my HD video files (temporarily) onto the SSD for editing, because that is screaming fast also.
However, know that SSD’s are something you want to read up so you buy the right one, and you use it correctly. Consider these points:
1) When SSD’s starting hitting the market, a FEW of the very best tech review forums spotted a big issue: SSD get slower as you use them more, and some brands are MUCH more prone to this than others. There are ways you can mitigate this.
One of the forums that broke this story was http://www.anandtech.com/
IF you want LOTS of detailed explanation (and data), go to that website and read articles like this:
“The SSD Anthology: Understanding SSDs and New Drives from OCZ”
The BOTTOM LINE: buy the Intel X25-M (or the X25-E if you’ve money to burn), because they show the best performance before and after slow-down is factored in. The OCZ SSD’s are also good, but not as good as the Intel SSD’s.
2) SSD’s are maintained differently (by you) than your spinning disc drives. You should periodically “refresh” an SSD back up to top speed by using a utility like HDDErase 3.3. You’ll back up any data from the SSD. Then you’ll use HDDErase to SECURE ERASE the entire SSD. Next you’ll re-install your OS, and during the OS install DO NOT select full format, but only select quick format. Some would argue you NEVER do a full format to an SSD, because the full format will slow your SSD, and if you are in situation where you can erase everything with a full format, then you’ll want instead to use the SECURE ERASE which will refresh your SSD back to its original as-new read/write performance.
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=669&type=expert&pid=6
You only need to do that SECURE ERASE refresh maybe once a year, or every six months.
3) Many geeks (like me) have figured out a great combo is a SSD to install your OS and most of your software. Then you also have some big SATA drives where you store your data files (photos, movies, music, etc.), preferably in a RAID configuration. Obviously with a laptop you won’t have room for that hybrid setup, so you just get an SSD.
4) Get at least an 80GB SSD. I got the X25-M 80GB, and I manage to barely keep a cushion of 20GB free, but I wish I had gotten the 160GB SSD. Keep in mind I store NO files on the SSD, only have installed the OS and most of my software onto the SSD. On my home PC I have the additional 4 TB RAID10 for misc file storage (images, video, music, etc.)
So with a laptop, if you have to store your data also on your SSD, then I think you need a SSD larger than 80GB SSD, probably more.
For certain, the best upgrade I’ve made in the last five years to our home PC’s / laptops is the SSD.
As for desktop configuration, do not believe any of the few holdout moron PC geekers who claim a RAID0 of SATA VelociRaptor’s (or SAS drives) is as fast as an SSD. That is pure rubbish, as anyone knows who has experienced the ACTUAL performance of SSD’s compared to a SATA (or SAS) RAID0 array. Of course, the hybrid configuration is the best of both worlds: OS and software installed on your SSD, and your data kept on your SATA (or SAS) drives configured RAID10 (speed + data redundancy).
ParticipantThank you to original poster for including the link to that incredible report.
ParticipantThank you to original poster for including the link to that incredible report.
ParticipantThank you to original poster for including the link to that incredible report.
ParticipantThank you to original poster for including the link to that incredible report.
ParticipantThank you to original poster for including the link to that incredible report.
March 1, 2009 at 11:23 AM in reply to: CNBC Anchors Mortified that Ron Paul Was Allowed Air Time #358128ParticipantThe press has become an embittered biased organization that no longer reports the facts of the news but instead favors blatant propaganda.
Exactly!
Ron Paul is a true American hero of the finest caliber.
I was so pissed off when later in those hearings, Barney Frank cut off Ron Paul’s brilliant questioning of Bernanke in a manner that was insulting to Ron Paul.
Barney Frank has long been in bed with the banking industry. Barney Frank helped create the financial crisis and economic depression.
March 1, 2009 at 11:23 AM in reply to: CNBC Anchors Mortified that Ron Paul Was Allowed Air Time #358160ParticipantThe press has become an embittered biased organization that no longer reports the facts of the news but instead favors blatant propaganda.
Exactly!
Ron Paul is a true American hero of the finest caliber.
I was so pissed off when later in those hearings, Barney Frank cut off Ron Paul’s brilliant questioning of Bernanke in a manner that was insulting to Ron Paul.
Barney Frank has long been in bed with the banking industry. Barney Frank helped create the financial crisis and economic depression.
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